TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
Our tech writing department is making yet another effort to get the
programmers and engineers at our manufacturing company to write
Requirements and Specifications documents. We have a new project in the
works with a partner in Austrailia ( We are in Canada). Two developers
are working in two continents and no one is using any written
requirements or specifications.
I have given them some samples of software and hardware specs and want
to develop a template for the company to follow.
I am having trouble accessing the techwr archives and so my questions
are:
1. Would anyone care to share some favorite software/hardware spec
contents and samples, Functional or otherwise .
2. Does anyone have any suggestions as to dealing with stubborn project
leaders who don't seem to think these are important . I have tried the
"legal liability" argument and the "we need them to write the manual"
argument but to little avail.
